• Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) international reserves stood at US$102.8 billion as at May 15, 2019 from US$103.4 billion at April 30, 2019 • Tekun Nasional has channelled business financing worth RM140 million since the beginning of this year until April 30, 2019 • Malaysia's labour productivity grows 2.4 per cent in Q1 2019 • Malaysia's CPI rose 0.2 per cent in April 2019 to 121.1 compared to 120.9 in the same month of the preceding year: Department of Statistics Malaysia

NEW YORK • Monetary policymakers around the world should review their strategies to prepare for a future of slow economic growth and low interest rates, US Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of New York president John Williams (picture) said.

“Central banks should revisit and reassess their policy frameworks, strategies and toolkits to maximise efficacy” in a world where low investment and high savings put a lid on interest rates, Williams said yesterday in remarks prepared for a panel discussion in Zurich. “Absent such changes, central banks will be severely challenged to achieve stable economies and well-anchored inflation expectations.”

Williams pointed to a review the Fed is undergoing this year of its own monetary policy strategy. While the unemployment rate is at a five-decade low, inflation is also still below the Fed’s 2% target, as it’s been throughout most of the current expansion and survey measures of inflation expectations are sliding too.

Fed officials have kept rates on hold since December amid low inflation and global growth concerns, which could return to the fore following an escalation in trade tensions between the US and China. Investors now see a good chance of a rate cut later this year.

“Given the limited policy space for interest rate cuts in future downturns, recoveries will be slow and inflation below target,” Williams said. “The limitation in the ability of central banks to offset downturns results in an adverse feedback loop, whereby expectations of low future inflation drag down current inflation and further reduce available policy space.”

The New York Fed chief also called for fiscal policy changes to help combat future economic downturns, like stronger automatic stabilisers and greater coordination between the Fed and Treasury on debt management. — Bloomberg